This is a pivotal moment, one rife with positive outcomes in the longer term equivalent to those of “The Sputnik Moment” of 1957, when we were caught unawares by the Soviets launching the first rocket into space and then the first missile-bearing rocket. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is an unfolding global tragedy, yet a largely preventable […]
Oncogenic KRAS (KRAS*) is a key tumor maintenance gene in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), motivating pharmacological targeting of KRAS* and its effectors. Here, we explored mechanisms involving the tumor microenvironment (TME) as a potential basis for resistance to targeting KRAS*. Using the inducible KrasG12D p53 null (iKPC) PDAC mouse model, gain-offunction screens of epigenetic regulators
A hallmark of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an exuberant stroma comprised of diverse cell types that enable or suppress tumor progression. Here, we explored the role of oncogenic KRAS in protumorigenic signaling interactions between cancer cells and host cells. We show that KRAS mutation (KRAS*) drives cell-autonomous expression of type I cytokine receptor complexes
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a lethal brain tumor containing a subpopulation of glioma stem cells (GSCs). Pan-cancer analyses have revealed that stemness of cancer cells correlates positively with immunosuppressive pathways in many solid tumors, including GBM, prompting us to conduct a gain-of-function screen of epigenetic regulators that may influence GSC self-renewal and tumor immunity. The circadian
The ubiquitin-specific protease (USP) family is the largest group of cysteine proteases. Cancer genomic analysis identified frequent amplification of USP21 (22%) in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). USP21 overexpression correlates with human PDAC progression, and enforced expression of USP21 accelerates murine PDAC tumor growth and drives PanIN to PDAC progression in immortalized human pancreatic ductal
USP21 deubiquitinase promotes pancreas cancer cell stemness via Wnt pathway activation Read More »
Heterotypic interactions across diverse cell types can enable tumor progression and hold the potential to expand therapeutic interventions. Here, combined profiling and functional studies of glioma cells in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) models establish that PTEN deficiency activates YAP1, which directly upregulates lysyl oxidase (LOX) expression. Mechanistically, secreted LOX functions as a potent macrophage chemoattractant via
The biological functions and mechanisms of oncogenic KRASG12D (KRAS*) in resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy are not fully understood. We demonstrate that KRAS* represses the expression of interferon regulatory factor 2 (IRF2), which in turn directly represses CXCL3 expression. KRAS*-mediated repression of IRF2 results in high expression of CXCL3, which binds to CXCR2 on
Ron DePinho visits with Dan Diamond at Politico Pulse about his time at MD Anderson, the moonshot cancer initiative, and whether curing cancer is realistic.
Dan Diamond interviews Ron DePinho Read More »
With 5-year survival rates remaining constant at 6% and rising incidences associated with an epidemic in obesity and metabolic syndrome, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is on track to become the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths by 2030. The high mortality rate of PDAC stems primarily from the lack of early diagnosis and ineffective
Genetics and Biology of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Read More »
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